Mancini believes that Pio Esposito, who has been working hard, will become an even stronger center forward.

Italy defeated Turkey 3-1 in the fourth round of Group A matches in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, thanks to goals from Scamaka, Carafiori, and Pio Esposito. Mancini stated that he believes Pio Esposito will become an even more formidable center forward in the future.

In the 26th minute, Di Lorenzo chipped a pass into the penalty area, where Scamaka's header was blocked. Scamaka then volleyed the ball into the net, giving Italy a 1-0 lead. In the 61st minute of the second half, Ellen Elmaly passed the ball back from the penalty area, and Simsir fired a low shot into the net, leveling the score at 1-1 for Turkey.

In the 64th minute, Barella took a free kick, and Carafiori headed the ball into the net, giving Italy a 2-1 lead again. In the 87th minute, Alessandro Romano delivered a diagonal pass, and Pio Esposito slotted the ball home from close range, extending Italy's lead to 3-1.

In the end, Italy defeated Türkiye 3-1 at home.

Italy coach Roberto Mancini said, "Although they lost the game, Turkey is not that weak. We rotated nine players, which affected the flow of the game to some extent, but we had no choice when playing four games in 11 days. Regardless of the result, we are happy because our team is constantly improving. Being able to fight for qualification for the UEFA Nations League is already a very good achievement in itself."

“Karapiori is already a leader, in terms of technique, physical attributes, and tactical understanding. Vergara needs to play in matches like these to continuously improve his standards, and I believe he will make great progress in the future. Issa Dumbia has been playing regularly in the Champions League, so he has an advantage in this regard, and I really like the performances of both of them.”

Mancini pointed out, "Alessandro Romano and Vergara both need to play in matches like this and gradually adapt to this level of competition. Also, considering Scamaca's ability, I think he can do even more. I substituted him along with Ruggeri because both of them had already been shown yellow cards, and at that time the referee seemed ready to pull out another yellow card at any moment."

“Pio Esposito has a strong desire to score goals, fight, and play. He is really excellent. I think in two years, he will be fully capable of developing into a center forward who can help the team function, just like Christian Vieri and Luca Toni did back then.”

Image source: Internet